Apparatus for making asbestos cement pipes



1955 D. COLLIVA 2325,77

APPARATUS FOR MAKING ASBESTOS CEMENT PIPES Filed April 15, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 6, 1955 n. COLLIVA APPARATUS FOR MAKING ASBESTOS CEMENT PIPES Filed April 15, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent APPARATUS FOR MAKING ASBESTOS CEMENT PIPES Dante Colliva, Milan, Italy, assignor to Societal Alessandro Calzoni, Bologna, Italy Application April 15, 1953, Serial No. 348,994 Claims priority, application Italy April 16, 1952 2 Claims. (CI. 9266) In machines for manufacturing tubes or pipes, in particular tubes or pipes of cement asbestos (asbestos fiber and Portland cement) of the kind described in U. S. A. patent specification No. 1,627,104, the main supporting shaft carrying the mandrel and the mandrel on which the pipe is formed are supported in an overhanging position by a support rigid with a column rotatable about a vertical'axis. When the tube or pipe is formed, the shaft has to carry the complete weight of the assembly: shaft, mandrel and tube, and hence is heavily stressed atthe support, causing considerable fiexure and limiting the length of the assembly and, therefore, of the tube or pipe that it is possible to manufacture.

The invention relates to a device, which eliminates in said machines the inconvenience mentioned above, and which is described hereinafter with reference to an illustrative embodiment given by way of example and shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 represents the device during formation of the tube or pipe;

Fig. 2 the same during the extraction of the tube or p p Fig. 3 is a particular of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the portion'taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.- s

The device is substantially composed of two parts: one accommodated on the tube forming machine and having the task of supporting the assembly of the shaft, mandrel and tube, during the rotation of the assembly about the vertical axis from the position in which the tube or pipe is formed on the mandrel to the position in which the formed tube is removed from the mandrel; the other one, accommodated along the path of the carriage for taking off the tube or pipe, has the task of supporting the shaft and mandrel as the carriage extracts or removes the tube or pipe. The first part is substantially formed by: a strut F, a stay G, a mobile arm H. The strut F is rigidly secured to the hinge C by the connecting structure I, while the stay G is attached to the arm L which is rigidly connected to the shaft M, to which the hinge C is also rigidly connected.

The strut F is spaced from the mandrel carrying shaft A to provide sufiicient clearance therebetween for the maximum diameter tube or pipe to be made. The arm H, the length of which is determined by the spacing between strut F and shaft A, can rotate about the vertical axis H1 accommodated at the free end of the strut F; hence it can assume two terminal positions.

The position indicated in Fig. 1, where the arm H is fitted into the mandrel carrying shaft A, and supports it at the end opposite to that of the hinge, is the operative position of the arm H, which the latter occupies during the rotation of the whole assembly about the axis M, and during the positioning of the machine.

The other position of the arm H, illustrated in Figure 2, is accurately at 90 from the preceding one (and, therefore, leaves the end of the shaft A completely free, permitting the extraction of the formed tube or pipe),

and is assumed only when the tube and The system is compreventing errors of rotation of arm H, controls the hydraulic electro-distributor P so as to prevent the lifting of the piston M1 (which lifts the entire assembly of the shaft M, hinge C, shaft A,

strut F and stay G) when the armH is open, that is, in

the position of Figure 2, and permits liftingof M1 only if the arm H is closed as in Fig. 1. I

This safety permits the shaft A support of the posts shaft A is again supported also by thearm H.

the piston The dog H3 prevents positively the rotation of the arm H until the shaft A, having come to rest on the carriage N, performs a slight vertical movement allowed by the free stroke C2 existing in the hinge, which de- 1 taches the end of the mandrel carrier from the arm H by an amount slightly larger than the height of the dog H The arm H is completed by the small mobile hand H4 rotating about the horizontal axis H5, which has the task of locking horizontally the shaft A carrying the mandrel r perfectly rigid with the arm H. Said and of rendering it hand H4 has to be rotated as shown by Figure 3 prior to rotating the arm H. a

The part of the device which supports the shaft A and the mandrel B as. a formed pipe is being removed from the. latter comprises posts 0 actuated hydraulically for up; and down movement and having stems 04 supported hingedly thereon for tilting relative to the axis of the post. Such posts are provided in suflicient number, de-

pending on the length of the tube or pipe, along the path I of the carriage N.

On the carriage there is provided the abutment N1 (having length equal to thelength of the carriage) and t This finger N2 engages in the forks Or which actuate by way of suitable transmissions the hy- 1 draulic,;dis,tributors O2 controlling hydraulically the ver-.

the finger N2.

tical movements of pistons 03.

The tiltable parts 04 are suitably balanced by the counterweights O5 and by springs 06 automatically tensioned by sectors 07 when the posts are tilted towards the horizontal position by the carriage N. The result of these two forces is that the posts 0 assume automatically the vertical position when the carriage frees them. It should be noted that the axes of tilting 0a of the articulated parts are offset with respect to the centre of the posts, so that the weight supported by the top surface of part 04 and acting downwardly in line with the center of the post 0 forms a couple about the axis 08 which prevents tilting of the part 04.

Operation is as follows:

Let us suppose that the assembly of hinge-shaft-mandrel-tube be in position on the machine and the carriage N far away. When the carriage N moves toward the shaft M, the finger N2, touching the forks 01, moves them taking them to the position indicated in Figure 2, with the result that the related cylinder below the piston 03 is opened to discharge, and the piston goes down. Subsequently the abutment N1 touches the sabre-like member 09 and tilts the movable part of the post 0, which remains permanently tilted because the abutment N1 is as long as the carriage.

If the carriage is in position and the tube is formed, the distributor M2 is operated from the control board. This distributor can receive the remote control in that the electro-hydraulic locking mechanism P is open, the arm H being in regular position.

The lifting of the piston M1 (the upward stroke where- Patented Dec. 6, 1955 mandrel assembly rests: on the extractingcarriage N of conventional type,

to be lifted from the 0 or of the carriage N only if the oftisprotectedtbyt the. .end-oflstroke. stopnMatwh ghas n t it automatically in case of forgetfulness of the operator) causes detaching of the tube-formed from the machine and allows irotation 10f"; theswholerassembly 'inrtitsz'rai'sedn.

conditiontfront thet orientation shown intFi'gure; l1 to :thatv; 5

shown: in: Figure 2. r.

When .the; tube 'istperfectly. oven the carriage N, remotert control is imparted to the senseythen the piston M1? descends taking the .tube .to .rest

uponuthe extracting; tcarriage ;N; l t The:end-of-strokezstop. r

distributor M2 in the opposed. :1

atnthe lower :end pfiither piston stroke: istobtained with fixed abutmentst M4 lregistered :in such :a :manner 13.55 to;.,

allowe-the; piston; M1 and the strut to perform :the short x. excesssstroke: necessary to liberate thedog fisiofttheiarmw O9), and then r:

Itlistpossible then to move- (because the. abut by the rotation The lengtlria$- tact; themandrel without subjecting said posts to excessive stresses.

What I claim is:;

1. In a machine for making bination ofrta horizontal mandrel 011.1WhlCh' a :pipe is pipes vof cement; the comformed; a *reciprocatable' carriage movable alonga path =t extending parallel to :the axis of said mandrel and rat: a leveltbelowtthetlatter thenmandrel', :devices fort supporting said mandrel when saidtcarriagenis;:positioned remote ;from=said mandrel;- eachzofssaidz supporting .devices including: a vertical: cyle it inder disposed below said mandrel, a piston :working in a said cylinder; between raised and lowered .positions,-a post tiltabl-y mounted on said piston, ing. saidpostato. an erectposition in which theupper end of the post-tis. operative to. engage.

drelrewhen saidti'pistonis U in .said raised position :in the x for removing the-formed pipe from v and means yieldablygurgand support: the man- 4 r l tedtcylinderameanspn sai carriage. engaseah ey h. said post of each supporting device as the carriage moves under said mandrel to tilt said post from said erect position thereof; actuating means for raising and lowering said piston of each supporting device; and controlling means for said piston actuating-means operative in response to movementof said carriage;undersaidrmandrel to cause downward movement :of the piston of each supporting device prior to tilting of the related post, and in response to movementofsaid carriage out from-under said mandrel to cause upward movement of the piston following the return of the relatcd post to saidnerect position whereby said upper end of the post of each supporting devicecan have a surface of relatively large area to adequately support the mandreh 2. In a machine for making pipes of cement; the combination according to claim 1; wherein said actuating means includes conduits foiwsupplying pressure-fluid to thetopposite ends ofrathei cylinder. of the; related 1 support-z ing; device; and wher,ein :said controllmgtmeansnincludessrt valve means interposed in saidvconduitsand. tletermininst-z the: endtofsaid l cylindernto which; pressure fluid isrsupng plied, 1 a ,tvalve .control member; .fOI 01621011 :of, :said :vallfiru means rockably: mountedqadjacent said path, of the;.car.- riage; atarlocationdn advance rofflzthenrelated cylinderyz. mel ing of saidnvalvc-controlmembercin one: directiombe-s ing operative; to condition the related .valve means lfobsupm plying of, pressure.- fluid ;to ..the= upper;end;of1the.associatedm cylindert, while rocking. -nfisaid: valve control; member; in r; the other direction beingppenativeto tconditionv saidprev;, lated LYaiYQ means for supplying of pressure-fluid to @the lower; endcof. s id --asso ciated cylinder; and. an :ahutmentn on. said carriages-rocking eachaof-isaid yalve; control memw bers-insaid onez direction during movementiofisaid carry riage under said mandrel-and. in said other-direction during moyementt 10f; zsaid :rcarriagezoutt frornaunden said mandrel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS? 

